The 6-foot-5, 200-pound right-hander is overshadowed, but not overlooked. He`d be a star on many teams.

``Aguilera doesn`t get the publicity and the credit, but I think he`s one of the best young pitchers in the major leagues,`` Mets outfielder Darryl Strawberry said.

Aguilera missed three months last season because of an elbow injury and was 11-3 with a 3.60 ERA in 18 games. Aguilera won 10 games in both 1985, as a part-time starter, and 1986, when he joined the rotation for good July 2.

Last season was the year Aguilera was supposed to blossom. But the elbow injury cut into the middle of his season.

Aguilera beat the Padres 10-3 May 20 at Shea Stadium for his fourth win of the year, was scratched from his next scheduled start May 26 at San Francisco and was placed on the disabled list May 30 with a sprained ligament in his right elbow.

``If he stays healthy, there`s no telling what he could be capable of,`` Mets catcher Gary Carter said.

Aguilera showed a flash of his capabilites after his return in late August when he had ``nasty stuff,`` according to Carter. On Aug. 24 he made his first start after reactivation and allowed four hits, two walks and struck out four in 7 innings of a 1-0 victory over the Dodgers.

He won his next five starts, falling one victory shy of the Mets record for most wins in consecutive starts.

Nevertheless, Aguilera is considered the Mets` No. 5 starter, although Mets manager Davey Johnson doesn`t like to designate rank or preference.

Johnson said Aguilera has the ability to win as many games as any pitcher on the New York staff and that the Mets suffered in his absence last season. ``He`s got the stuff to be a No. 1 pitcher on a lot of staffs,`` Johnson said.

All five Mets starters missed various parts of last season, when they combined for 53 wins. All are healthy this spring. Gooden, 23, Darling, 27, Ojeda, 30, Fernandez, 25, and Aguilera, 26, teamed for 76 wins in 1986 and the Mets won the World Series.

``A lot of people say we had a bad year (in 1987),`` Aguilera said. ``But it was a great year considering all the injuries we had.``

Aguilera said a pain-free offseason and last season`s strong return have buoyed his confidence for 1988.